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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054494">Chasing A Shadow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyThursday/pseuds/LonelyThursday'>LonelyThursday</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jack Kelly: Infamous Crime Lord [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gangs, Gen, M/M, Mentions of various crimes, Murder, NOTHING IS GRAPHIC, Reporter Katherine, Snyder is a terrible person, because nothing i write is ever graphic, crime boss Jack, detective Davey, obvi, the murder was before the fic starts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:33:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyThursday/pseuds/LonelyThursday</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty witnesses, three bullets, one victim. Unfortunately, Detectives Jacobs and Sullivan don't have a clear suspect yet.<br/>And if the local crime boss has anything to say about it, they never will</p>
<p>I've been bingeing Psych, this is not a Psych AU, but it is what happens whenI binge apparently</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Crutchie/Jack Kelly, David Jacobs/Katherine Plumber, Spot Conlon/Albert DaSilva/Racetrack Higgins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jack Kelly: Infamous Crime Lord [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967710</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chasing A Shadow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>lots of people are criminals, there are lots of mentions of crimes, including Child porn and rape (both are committed by Snyder), nothing is graphic but if that bothers you you should know</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Jacobs! Sullivan! What are all these people doing here?” Chief William Hearst demands, gesturing around the crowded police station. </p>
<p>“There was a shooting at Jacobi’s earlier,” detective David Jacobs responds quickly. “These are all the witnesses, they’re here for questioning.”</p>
<p>“Any victims?” The chief asks, leading Jacobs and Sullivan into his office, away from any eavesdroppers. </p>
<p>“Just one,” detective Francis Sullivan answers once the office door is shut, handing Hearst the file on the only victim. “67-year-old Warren Snyder. He was hit with three bullets; we’re waiting on ballistics but all three shots likely originated from the same gun.” </p>
<p>“Have you apprehended the shooter?” Hearst asks, looking through the file. </p>
<p>“No, sir,” Jacobs answers. “They were gone before we got there, and the bar didn’t have any security cameras that would have caught anything, that’s why we’ve brought all the witnesses in.”</p>
<p>“Well, then get to it! It can’t be that hard to identify a shooter with this many witnesses.”</p>
<p>“I’m afraid it’s not that easy, chief,” Sullivan says “This particular bar is popular among the city’s lowlifes. These folks probably aren’t gonna be very cooperative.”</p>
<p>“Alright, who have we got?”</p>
<p>“Anthony ‘Racetrack’ Higgins,” Jacobs says, pointing through the window at a man leaning against the wall near the water cooler, surveying the room critically. “He’s a repeat offender.”</p>
<p>“Could he be our shooter?”</p>
<p>“I doubt it, his crimes have all been either car theft, street racing or illegal gambling,” Sullivan answers. “He’s never been brought in for a violent crime, and murder definitely isn’t his MO.”</p>
<p>“Next there’s Albert DaSilva,” Jacobs points out the redhead conversing with Higgins. “He’s been brought in for almost every crime there is, but we could never prove any of them. He could be our guy, but it might be tough to prove it.”</p>
<p>“Then there’s Jennifer ‘Sniper’ Harlow,” Sullivan gestures to a tall woman on the opposite side of the room. “She was brought in for murder a couple years ago, but got off after claiming it was self-defense.”</p>
<p>“Carlos ‘Romeo’ Dejesus,” Jacobs says. “Busted for a string of B&amp;Es, but he only got two years, he just got out two months ago.”</p>
<p>“Joana ‘Buttons’ Davenport, drug possession. Michael ‘Mush’ Meyers, blackmail and stalking.”</p>
<p>“Thomas Bennett, accused of a whole slew of violent crimes, but he’s never been served jail time.”</p>
<p>“Sophia ‘Smalls’ McKinley, her crimes vary, but she’s always able to get off through a loophole or technicality.”</p>
<p>“Michael and Isaac Ramirez, insurance fraud and extortion. Louis ‘Kid Blink’ Balleti, he’s been held in contempt of court seven times.”</p>
<p>“Spencer Lawrence, armed robbery.”</p>
<p>“El-”</p>
<p>“Ok! I get it,” Hearst yells, cutting Jacobs off. “Is there anyone out there who <em>isn’t</em> a criminal or suspected criminal?”</p>
<p>Jacobs and Sullivan share a brief look before Jacobs points out a short blond man standing by himself. “Charles Morris, he has no record, no misdemeanors, not even a single parking ticket. Heck, the only reason we know who he is, is because he’s been a key witness in <em>three </em>separate murder cases. He’s our best bet at getting any concrete testimony.”</p>
<p>“Great, that’s just great,” Hearts sighs, already feeling a headache coming on. “Start your questioning with Morris, then work your way through the lowlifes. Hopefully we can get this wrapped up soon, I don’t want all these criminals wandering around my precinct all day.”</p>
<p>“Yes sir!”</p>
<p>“Right away, chief.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>&lt;(^.^)&gt;</strong>
</p>
<p>The questioning takes an impossibly long time. </p>
<p>Morris had been helpful, he’d given them all the information he could, but he’d been in the bathroom at the time of the shooting so they couldn’t get a positive ID on the shooter from him. Morris gave them a description of two men he had noticed in the bar that he was certain hadn’t been brought in for questioning by the police, but he couldn’t say whether or not either of them had still been <em>in</em> the bar when he’d gone to the bathroom, let alone when the shooting took place. </p>
<p>No one else had been anywhere <em>near </em>helpful. Anthony Higgins had accused Louis Balleti of being the shooter, but Balleti had likewise accused Higgins. Based on the hostilities of their interactions, and the fact that no one else accused either of being the shooter, Jacobs and Sullivan had to come to the conclusion that there was a longstanding grudge between the two, and were forced to write off both of their statements. </p>
<p>Joana Davenport has given an in-depth description of the victim, and didn’t seem to understand that they were asking her for the shooter not the victim. It got to the point where they had her drug tested, but the test came back negative. So she got written off as a druggie who was off their rocker. </p>
<p>Carlos Dejesus and Sophia McKinley both gave them a description of Count Olaf. After being told that they could get arrested for impeding a police investigation, they’d both claimed to have not witnessed anything. Sophia claimed she was in the bathroom, and since she would have used the ladies’ room instead of the men’s, they couldn’t get Morris to corroborate her claim. Carlos had claimed that he was chatting up one of the patrons at the time, and when the gun went off, he’d hidden under a table. </p>
<p>Spencer Lawrence had given them a good description of a suspect, to the point where they had brought in a police sketch artist, but when the artist showed them the sketch, it was clear that Lawrence had just been describing detective Sullivan. </p>
<p>Everyone else had similarly claimed to either be in the bathroom or otherwise unable to see the commotion. </p>
<p>“Well?” Hearst asks once the last witness finally leaves. “What have you got?”</p>
<p>“The only concrete thing we got was two possible suspects supplied by Morris, everyone else either couldn’t or <em>wouldn’t </em>give us anything.” Jacobs answers, all but collapsing into his desk chair. </p>
<p>“All of their hands were tested for gunshot residue, all came back negative,” Sullivan continues. “All of them were searched for weapons, the only one with a gun on them was the bartender, Jacobi, but it didn’t match the ballistics, and he hasn’t fired it recently.”</p>
<p>“What did the ballistics say?” Hearst asks. </p>
<p>“All three shots were fired from the same gun,” Sullivan says, handing the ballistics report to Hearst. “The gun was registered to Warren Snyder, so we know that someone took his gun and shot him with it.”</p>
<p>“Did we find the gun?” Hearst gives the ballistics report a cursory glance, but he’s more focused on what his detectives are saying. </p>
<p>“No, sir, the shooter likely took it with him when he fled the scene.”</p>
<p>“Okay, so what do we know about the victim?” Seeing as they can’t follow any leads on the gun for the time being, Hearst decides to focus on the victim instead. “Who’d want to kill him?”</p>
<p>Jacobs and Sullivan share another look. </p>
<p>“Probably a lot of people, actually,” Jacobs says. </p>
<p>“Warren Snyder has had multiple charges; child abuse, domestic abuse, rape, murder, possession of child porn-”</p>
<p>“So he’s the lowest of the low, is what you’re telling me?”</p>
<p>“Pretty much,” Sullivan shrugs.</p>
<p>“Do any of the bar patrons have a connection to Snyder? Any reason they’d want him dead?”</p>
<p>“With all due respect, sir,” Jacobs says, looking between Hearst and Sullivan. “There’s no evidence to suggest that any of our witnesses are the shooter.”</p>
<p>“Maybe not,” Hearst acknowledges. “But you brought over thirty criminals into my precinct — witnesses to a murder where a man got shot three times in the middle of a bar — and none of them saw <em>anything?</em> C’mon, either these people had a grudge against Snyder, or they’re afraid of our killer. Now I ask you, who could all these people possibly be afraid of? No, it’s more likely that they were holding grudges.”</p>
<p>“It could be Jack Kelly,” Jacobs suggests, almost hesitantly, but not backing down when Hearst glares at him.</p>
<p>Strictly speaking, there’s no proof that Jack Kelly even exists, and most people in the department dismiss him as just a story perpetuated by criminals to lessen their own sentences. Supposedly, Jack Kelly is some sort of crime boss, he’s got a lot of fingers in a lot of pies all over the city: car theft, blackmailing, drugs, smuggling. You name it, someone has claimed Jack Kelly has been involved with it. </p>
<p>“Jack Kelly is an urban legend, Jacobs,” Hearst says harshly. “We’re looking for a <em>real</em> murderer. Someone who <em>actually</em> exists. Find them.”</p>
<p>Hearst slams the files back on Jacobs’ desk and walks away, leaving Jacobs and Sullivan to begin working on their case. </p>
<p>“You really think Jack Kelly’s real?” Sullivan whispers once the chief is out of earshot. </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Jacobs admits. “But his name comes up so many times… it just makes you wonder, ya know? Like, what if there <em>is</em> a secret crime boss running our city’s underground?”</p>
<p>“I hear ya,” Sullivan nods, picking up the folder on Warren Snyder and flipping through it. “But if there was one big crime boss, wouldn’t we have some sort of proof by now? Kelly’s name’s been coming up for years and we’ve yet to get <em>any</em> hard evidence that he’s a real person.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”</p>
<p>Sullivan begins looking through the files on each and every witness they brought in, looking for any connection between any of them and Warren Snyder. Basically, he’s playing Six Degrees of Snyder with thirty-two people. Jacobs, on the other hand, starts looking into the two unnamed men that Morris had described earlier. </p>
<p>“I think I might have something,” Sullivan announces to his partner hours later. “Get this, Snyder used to run a group home back before he got busted for child porn.”</p>
<p>“So?” Jacobs asks, brain a little numb from all the reading he’s been doing, searching through files looking for men that matched Morris’ description. </p>
<p><em>“So,”</em> Sullivan says forcefully. “He’s almost thirty years older than everyone in that bar, other than the bartender, and most of these guys grew up in foster care. Maybe some of them were in Snyder’s care.”</p>
<p>“Could be promising,” Jacobs agrees. “Look at this,” he turns his computer screen towards Sullivan. “Morris Delancey. He looks like he could fit Morris’- uh… Charles Morris’ description.”</p>
<p>“He’s pretty close for sure,” Sullivan agrees, glancing between the computer screen and the police sketch. The noses are a little different, and the eyes are a little off, but it’s still a promising lead. </p>
<p>“And get this, he’s wanted for a few priors, including assault and battery.”</p>
<p>“Even better, we should-”</p>
<p>“DAVID!”</p>
<p>Both Jacobs and Sullivan look up, shocked to find Jacobs’ long-time girlfriend, Katherine Plumber, coming making her way through the station. </p>
<p>“Kath!” Jacobs stands quickly, noticing the time for the first time since they got the call about the shooting. It’s hours past when he was supposed to meet Katherine for their date. “I’m so sorry for standing you up! It’s just that we got this case, and interviewing witnesses took so long, and the time just completely slipped-”</p>
<p>Katherine cuts off his apology by placing a hand over his mouth. “It’s alright, Davey, I know how it goes. Believe it or not I was actually running late too, I got assigned this big story today, the one I told you about, remember? The one everyone at the paper was itching to get assigned. Anyway I lost track of time too, so I called you to apologize and when you didn’t pick up, I called Bill to make sure you were just at work, not kidnapped or in the hospital.”</p>
<p>“I guess we were both a little distracted today,” Davey chuckles, his work persona fading with the presence of his girlfriend. </p>
<p>He and Katherine continue to stare at each other, stupidly love-struck, until Sullivan decides it’s been too long. </p>
<p>“Hey, Ace,” he greets, reminding the two that he is, in fact, here. </p>
<p>“Oh, hi Francis,” Katherine says, finally taking her eyes off her boyfriend. “I hope you weren’t keeping David late on purpose.”</p>
<p>“‘Course not,” Francis replies with mock-indignation. “We were working a case, and I guess we lost track of time.”</p>
<p>“Tell me about this case,” Katherine says, moving around Davey to get a better look at his computer. “I want the inside scoop.”</p>
<p>“All of this is off the record,” Davey reminds sternly. He loves talking to Kath because she makes a good sounding board for him, looking at things differently than he or Francis do, but he’s always a little bit afraid that one day he’ll find out that Kath only dated him to get a good story for the paper. It hasn’t happened yet, and the more rational part of his mind is well aware that it never will, but he still feels the need to clarify every time he tells her about a case. </p>
<p>“Of course,” Kath replies easily. “You know I never report on your cases. Conflict of interest and all that.”</p>
<p>“Okay, get this,” Francis says, setting up the story for her. “There’s a shooting at a bar downtown, one victim. Over thirty people in the bar — mostly criminals — but none of them will give us an ID on a shooter. What does that tell you?”</p>
<p>“That everyone in the bar wanted the victim dead,” Kath answers. </p>
<p>“Right,” Davey jumps in. “But <em>why </em>do they want him dead? What has he done to all of these seemingly unrelated people?”</p>
<p>“Maybe he was blackmailing them?” Katherine suggests, beginning to pick through the pile of folders on Francis’ desk. </p>
<p>“Could be,” Davey agrees. “We’d have to actually search his house first, but it’s definitely something to think about.”</p>
<p>“See anything I missed, Ace?” Francis asks as Kath continues to browse the files on their witnesses. </p>
<p>“Hmm. Is Snyder the only sex-offender here?” She asks, handing Francis Snyder’s file. </p>
<p>“Is he?” Francis starts flipping through some other files. “Huh, I guess he is.”</p>
<p>“Do you think that’s enough for the other patrons to want him dead?” Davey asks. “Like, maybe they have some sort of moral code?”</p>
<p>“It’s definitely a possibility,” Francis acknowledges. He stands up and stretches, his back popping in three places. “Either way, I think we need to call it a night. I promised my mom I’d have dinner with her, and it seems like both of you are late for your date.”</p>
<p>“We’ll pick it back up tomorrow,” Davey promises. “Goodnight Francis.”</p>
<p>“‘Night Dave, ‘night Ace!” </p>
<p>“Good night, Francis”</p>
<p>Francis waves goodbye to the couple and proceeds to make his way outside to his car. Once in his car he drives to the Bowery Theater, the theater owned by his mom, Medda Larkin. </p>
<p>“Hey, mama!” He calls as he makes his way to the back of the theater. Medda waves from where she’s conversing with her stage manager, but she doesn’t approach him. He doesn’t approach her either, instead heading for the stairs that lead to the orchestra pit. Once in the orchestra pit, he proceeds to the back, where he opens a secret hatch, leading down into another basement. </p>
<p>The basement isn’t so much a basement as it is a room in a large series of underground tunnels that span across the entire city. These tunnels are the headquarters of a gang so secret that the police haven’t even heard a <em>whisper</em> of their name. The Newsboys. </p>
<p>“Hey Jack!” Crutchie meets him as soon as he enters the room, he’s the only one in the room, but Jack is sure there are others hovering close by. “How’s your case?”</p>
<p>Jack Kelly groans. “Why is this a case, Crutch? What in the hell happened?”</p>
<p>“Don’t look at me,” Crutchie shrugs. “I really <em>was</em> in the bathroom.”</p>
<p>Jack groans again, wrapping his arms around Crutchie and burying his face in the shorter man’s neck. “I’m gonna kill Race.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think it was his fault,” Crutchie offers. It’s not like Jack would <em>actually</em> kill Race, even if Race <em>had</em> shot Snyder at Jacobi’s. </p>
<p>“Doesn’t mean I can’t still kill him. RACER!” Jack yells down the tunnel, knowing that his brother, is definitely within yelling distance</p>
<p>“Yeah, Jackie?” Race bounds into the room way too nonchalantly for Jack’s liking. He’s followed by Albert, Kid Blink, Mush, Elmer, and Smalls. </p>
<p>“What the <em>hell</em> happened today?” Jack demands, gaze roving over each of his friends/subordinates. “We had a <em>plan! </em>We were going to take Snyder out tomorrow, in a way that <em>wouldn’t</em> draw any attention to us!”</p>
<p>“And we were gonna!” Race agrees, bouncing on his toes to expel extra energy. “But Spot Conlon was in the bar earlier, and you <em>know </em>how much he hates The Spider. It’s not like I could tell him about the plan.”</p>
<p>“I’m gonna kill him!” Jack seethes. How <em>dare</em> Spot Conlon come along and ruin the hit he’d been planning for <em>months!</em> It was <em>supposed </em>to look like a heart attack, but now Jack is going to have to be working overtime just to bury any and all connections his people have to Snyder to keep them from coming under suspicion more than they already have. </p>
<p>“‘Kay, but can you kill him tomorrow?” Race asks. “Cuz Al and I were planning on banging him tonight.”</p>
<p><em>“Race!” </em>Albert yells, covering his face in embarrassment. </p>
<p>“I do <em>not</em> need to know what you guys do with Spot in your spare time!” Jack groans, rubbing a hand over his face. “Just tell him I better not find anything in this case that leads me back to him. I’m already up to my neck covering all of <em>our</em> asses in this, I don’t need to add <em>his</em> to the list.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Race asks. “Cuz Spot has a pretty good ass.”</p>
<p><em>“RACE!” </em>This time it’s Smalls, Blink, <em>and</em> Albert who yell. </p>
<p>“How are we looking, Jack?” Mush asks in an attempt to steer the subject away from Race and Albert’s sex lives. </p>
<p>“There’s not as much damage as there could be,” Jack answers, grateful for the change in topic. “I already erased any trace of any of us living under Snyder’s ‘care’ in preparation for our hit, so if I play my cards right, I think I can keep the attention from drifting too much on to any of you. It helps that Crutchie gave us a description of the Delancey brothers. My biggest concern though, is what they’re going to say when we bring them in for questioning.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about that,” Blink smirks. “The Delanceys left Jacobi’s with Henry and Finch, and you <em>know </em>they’re never going to admit to that, so the only ones who can corroborate their alibis are each other.”</p>
<p>“Did the Delanceys see Spot at the bar?” Jack asks. </p>
<p><em>“I </em>didn’t even see Spot at the bar,” Crutchie says. “And the Delanceys left before I went to the bathroom.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Spot wasn’t at the bar long,” Race says. </p>
<p>“Just long enough to make a mess of things,” Jack groans. </p>
<p>It’s not actually <em>that</em> bad. Spot knows how to cover his trail just as well as Jack does, if any of the evidence actually leads back to him, then it’ll be because he wanted it to. No, hopefully Jack can either lead this back to the Delanceys, or it’ll wind up being a cold case. </p>
<p>“And no one suspects you in any way?” Smalls asks, more out of habit than any real concern that the police will catch on to the fact that detective Francis Sullivan moonlights as urban legend Jack Kelly. Jack’s been doing this for years, he’s pro.</p>
<p>“Nah, I’m solid,” Jack says. “Though Jacobs <em>did</em> suggest to the chief earlier that Jack Kelly carried out the hit against Snyder and that’s why no one would talk.”</p>
<p>“How’d he take that?” Albert asks, amused. They all know by now that no matter how many times criminals mention Jack Kelly, there isn’t enough proof of his existence for the police to take it seriously. </p>
<p>“The usual,” Jack smirks. “And I gave Jacobs the spiel about how there’d be proof by now, yadda yadda. He backed down pretty quickly.”</p>
<p>“You seem pretty fond of Jacobs,” Race points out. “Ya ever consider adding him to the team?”</p>
<p>“You kidding? Davey’s <em>way </em>too straight-laced to join <em>our</em> operation,” Jack snorts. “Nah, I think I’ll just let him do his detective thing, dangle carrots in front of him, and hope he doesn’t find anything he shouldn’t.”</p>
<p>“And if he does?” Blink asks. </p>
<p>Jack somber immediately. “Then I guess he’ll have to choose between his life and his morals.”</p>
<p>It would be a shame to kill David Jacobs, it really would. Davey was a good man, and a good friend — even if his friendship with ‘Francis’ was built on a foundation of lies — his morals and ingenuity in tight spots are something to be admired. And Jack would hate to make a widower out of Katherine, and Davey has a little brother who Jack <em>knows </em>looks up to him. Even so, Jack’s loyal to his family, and to his gang, if Davey starts poking his nose where it doesn’t belong, Jack won’t hesitate to cut it off. </p>
<p>Jack Kelly has spent years building his criminal empire, he’s definitely not about to throw it away for a police detective.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is probably going to end up a series tbh, I really like the universe I set up here</p></blockquote></div></div>
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